Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.

Candy

Renee

Rosy

Molly

Emily

Shannon

moi

Grace

Mrs. N

Matthew Stuckey

Prayer of Those Suffering Miscarriage

My Lord, the baby is dead!
Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?

“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why.
You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne.
Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face.
He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor.
He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess.

My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another.
He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”

I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity. -- Mother M. Angelica

1. Look at the clock. Realize that it is noon, and not only is there no meat thawed, you have no idea what to make for dinner because of an accident involving a Sonic Route 44 Lemon Berry Slush, inadequate cup holders, and your menu plan for the week.

2. Open pantry and stare. Consult handy list of meals that can be made using pantry ingredients; decide you are "just not in the mood" for any of those healthy, nutritious meals.

2a. Open freezer and stare. Briefly contemplate the 6 lbs. of bacon end pieces. Would it be possible to just cook that and eat it? This is the South, after all. Perhaps cooking up a mess of collard greens to go with it would make it count as a meal? Snap out of reverie with the realization that cooking 6 lbs. of bacon will doom your diet to failure, and you are only on day 2.

3. Get sidetracked swapping laundry, making lunch, putting children down for a nap, tending the nursling, and mopping the floor.

4. Realize it is now 12:45 and dinner is still a blank. Go to various cupboards and stare. Stare harder - maybe Alton Brown will materialize and whip something up while teaching your children valuable science principles. Realize AB isn't coming, but spy an 80 oz. can of crushed tomatoes anchoring the pantry in case of earthquake. (Hey, it was $2.88 at Sam's Club, and I probably *will* use it!) Notice large shelf bulging with beanery of all types, mocking you from plastic bags and recycled peanut butter jars.

6. Get crackin' on the beans. Rinse, pick over, then bring 2 lbs. of pintos to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, then let sit for 2 hours. (Notice that the package says boil 1 minute, let sit 1 hour. Life gets in the way sometimes.) Now the beans are pretty soft.

7. It's now 4 pm. Cut up one large onion and two carrots in a fine dice. Or just whack at it with your chef's knife, whatever works. Get a big pot. Look at 80 oz. can of tomatoes. Get a bigger pot. Drizzle in some olive oil, add carrots and onion, cook for a few minutes until onions are soft and yellow.

9. Realize you are out of milk, and ask husband to watch pot while you leave. Have a good time shopping.* Go to teacher store and buy dinosaur stuff. Notice that the children's consignment store is having a clearance sale and buy the baby some church clothes. Hit The Pig**. While wandering the cheese aisle, contemplating the merits of mozzarella vs. pizza blend, realize it is now 6 pm. Hightail it home.

* My town has the Stripmall of Silly Housewife Bliss. There is a Piggly Wiggly, children's consignment store, an Education Station, Dollar Tree, Goodwill and a Tuesday Morning all right next to each other and sharing the same parking lot. The only thing lacking is a Starbucks or a Chocolate Factory.

** Hit the Pig,v.: Southern colloquialism meaning to shop at the Piggly Wiggly Supermarket. Martha Sue hit the Pig to buy some oxtails to cook with her mess o' greens and grits.